Point-operating mechanism for tramways.



T. N. ATKINSON. POINT OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TRAMWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1908. v

Patented Nov. 9. 1909.-

2 8HEBTSSHIJET 1.

I I 7 1 3 7 W- ATKINSON. POINT OPERfiTIHG MECHANISM FOR TRAMWA YS.

APPLICATION FILED ROY. 11', 1808.-

I Patented Nov. 9; 1 909 a pcrspecii vc ZJNETEE} s ra ns PATENT carton-'ZI-EOMAS ZICI'OLS 13' ATKINSON, OF ST. MARGAEETS-ON-THAMES, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOR Oi? ONE-HALF TO OTTO LIST,

OF ST. PETERSBURG. RUSSIA.

YOINT OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TRAMWAYS.

"1 'c all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Tnonixs NICHOLSON Armxsox. a subject of the King ofEngland. residing at. St. Margarets-owThams, Surrey. England. have invnted certain new and useful improvements in Point-Operating- Mechanismfor 'lramways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to poin operatingmechanism for tramwzrrs, rail'w'ays and the like, and has for itsobjectio provide mechanism for more readily etlecting the shift of thepointsthan has heretofore been possible.

lhe invention has more particular application to tramways, although itmay be used with any rail system over which vehicles travel. Accordingto the present methods of I controlling the Joints for trams an operatoris either placed at the points for shifting them as required. or thetram conductor has to alight and shift his points before the tram canproceed.

According to this invention the. points are controlled from the vehicleitself by mechanical means which do not necessitate stopping thevehicle.

According to one method of carrying out this invention the vehiclecauses an operating member which may be displaced by the driver orconductor to bring it into the path of a coiiperating switch memberdisposed on the track, and connected with the point mechanism. Themember on the track is prefers-ihly sunk in a trough, and is pivotedabout a vertical axis. The switch member has on it one or more lateralcam faces wherewiih the operating member comes into contact with theresult that the switch memher is displac d laterally. The switch memheron the track also. may have another cam face. for guiding the operatingmember out of the trough.

In the accompanying drawing":Figure l is a plan showing the track anditscooperating parts constructed according to one "method of carrying outthis invention. Fig.

view of a detail. Fig. 3 is :2 is a perspective of the parts carried bythe vehicle. and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form ofthe same parts.

Like letters indicate likc'parts throughout the drawings.

vided with points U. The )OllltS are connected by a link C that carriesa pin C Sunk in a trough D in the track is aswitch member D. This ispivoted about a vertically disposed pin 1) a cam face I), 1)respectively. The pivot I) is situated at that end of the switch memberthat lies toward the vehicle as it ap-' D to forma seat for thereception of the pin C on the link C. In addition to the two laterallydisposed cam faces DD the switch member D is provided with side flangesD that lie level, with the base of the member at that end occupied bythe pivot pin D, but which rise at the other end and provide verticallyoperating cam faces D.

I cured to the floor of the vehicle is a. socket E that carries asliding rod E that constitutes the operating member. The lower end ofthe rod has on it a roller and at its upper end is a spring E that tendsto maintain the rod in a raised position. Engaging with the upper end ofthe rod E 'is a pedal plate E whereof one end is hinged at E to thefloor of the vehicle while the other end is forked at. E to receive theend of the rdd E. The rod has on it a bears.

The operation of this mechanism is as fol lows :The operatin plane thatis just to one side (say to theleft) of the narrow end of the switchmember D" its spring E sufiiciently to bring it into engagement with thecam face D". As-the vehicle approaches the points the conductordepresses the pedal E and if the points C are to the left oi Fig. 1, asshown, so as to convey. the vehicle along the direct. line A, whereas hedesires to turn off on 'o the line B. the member E coming the cam face Dwill displace the switch member D to the right carrying with it thepoints C. This movement is etl ected before; the frontwvhecls of the-tlehicle reach the points, and thus a safe transfer from the lines A toB is eti'ected. If the vehicle is intended sometimes to continue alongthe track l and at other times to turn otf to the line B,

preaches and the opposite end is forked atshoulder or collar whereonaforked end E member E is so situated on the vehicle tiat it lies in avertical and it can be depressed against the action of Specification 0!Letters 13mm. P t t d 9, 1909, Application filed November 17, 1908.Serial No. 463,099. i i

The track A is branched at. B and proand has on each side.

into contact with 7 member remote from y it is desired,

two pedals may be provided onesituate in a vertical plane to the leftofthe switch member D as before, and the other in a vertical plane to theright of the switch member; the conductor would then select which pedalto de ress according to the route he had to take.

ihe roller E" on the base of the operating member E engages a flange Don .the switch member so as to hold the member down, and as itapproaches that end of the the pivot D it rises on the cam face D. Theend of the cam face Dl' islevel with the track, so that should thepedal'i et be released before the end of the troughD is reached theoperating member will be guided safely out of the trough.

In Fig. 4 an alternative form of pedal is shown, the socket F beingprovided with lugs? for securing it to a vertical member, and instead ofthe hinge plate E a usb piece F fixed'to the operating rod 3 isprovided.

Although, this invention has been mainl describedas applicable totrainways, it wi 1 be understood t railed track for vehicles.

The details of this invention may be variously modified withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention, for instance, the operatingmember E may have a yieldin lateral control if desired, and again insteaof two 0 crating members one only may be employe and the points may beprovided with a spring control that always brings them into the reversepo 'tion to that given to them by the operating member.

Obviously any number of sets of oints with their operating mechanism mayarranged in' series, and one set may be placed as close to the adjacentset as practicable if it is desired to pass rapidly across one or moretracks intermediate; of that upon which the vehicle has been running andthat to which it is to be transferred.

The 'fianges D" on the member D' may have cam faces corresponding to theface D atthe pivoted end of the switch member if so that the operatingmember can be gradually brought down into the trough D.

Preferably the is independent mechanism described above of ordinarysignal and switchingdevices, but if desired it may be arranged forcontrol by means other than that at the disposal of the driver orconductor. For example, the spaces at the sides of the switch arm D thatadmit the operating memberE' may be provided with covering plates thatcan be shifted by any responsible erson so as to preventthe operatingmemer E from entering the trough. Thus if one line'was blocked thevehicles cculd be made to takeanother line irrespective of any iat' itcan be used w th any to operate the points.

What I claim as my invention'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is1'. The combination. with a switch point, of a swinging actuating memberconnected to the point and provided with a longitudinal cam and alateral flange below the cam, and a car member arranged to travel onthe; flan e and again t the cum to move the actuating member and throwthe switch point.

2. The combination wi h aswitch point, of a swinging actuating memberconnected to the point and provided with an elevated longitudinal camportion having its opposite edges diaergiqg toward the free end of thell1(llll)(l-,": 5fli i itClllililllg member having a laterallongitudinal liange below and at each side of the'cam. and a car memberarranged to travel upon one of the flanges and against the cum to movethe actuating member and .throw the switch point.

3. in point mechanism for railways the combination of. a switch-memberthat can be displaced laterally in relation to the direction of travelof ,the vehicle, means operativcly connecting such member with thepoints, an operating member carried by the vehicle and that can at willbe depressed, such member being so alined that. when depressed it is inthe path of the switch member. one of these members presenting to theother a cam-face that .is disposed laterally in relation to thedirection of travel of the vehicle, and the switch-member having avertical cam-face to receive the foot of the operating member and risingto the level of the track at that end last passed over by the vehicle,for the purpose set forth.

4. In point mechanism for railways the combination of, a switch memberpivoted at one end and having on each side a cam-face that is dispo edlaterally to the direction of travel of the vehicle, an operating memberon a vehicle so disposed relatively to the switch-member as to strikeone of the camfaces as the vehicle passes and thus displace theswitch-member laterally, a second operating member on a vehicle sodisposed as to strike the other cam-face to displace the switclrmemberin the opposite direction, and

member with the points, the switch-member having at each side a. flangeupon which the respective operating members are rtravel. substantiallyas set forth. 5. The combination with a switch point. of raswingingactuating member connected to the point. and a ear member arranged toengage and move the swinging-actuating member, the latter having avertically-disposed cam portion to lift the ear member as it leaves theswinging member.

6. An actuating member for switch points means operatively connectingthe switch adapted to effort on the-part of the driver or conductor themember, and a longitudinal cam lying having one end provided with apivot por-' tlon, an upstanding cam extending longi- I tudinally of themember and having one of its upright faves disposed obliquely of the tmember, and a longitud izmlly extending transverselv-disposed flangebelow the cam. i. -\n actuating member for switch points pro ided at oneend with a pivot portion for swinging movements on a vertieal'ai nis andi atits opposite end with a cam portion inf clined upwardly toward thefree end of the member. l 8. -\n actuating member for switch pointsprovided at one end with a pivot portion, and at its opposite end with acam portion inclined upwardly toward the tree end of bttween the pivotportion and the first-mentioned c.1111 and having a face disposedobliquely of the member. 7

U. A swinging actuating member for switch points provided at one endwith a pivot portion and at its opposite end with a cani portioninclined upwardly toward the free end'of the member, a longitudinal camlying between the pivot portion and the first-mentioned cam and havingits opposite upright sides diverged toward the free end of the member,and a longitudinally-extending laterally-disposed flange at each side iof and below the longitudinal cam. 10.;1 swinging actuating member for Iswitch points provided at one end with a.

pivot portion for swinging movements on a vertical axis and atitsopposite end with a seat, there being a cam portion inclined upwardlytoward the free end of the member and located adjacent the inner side ofthe seat.

11. A swinging actrating member for switch points provided at one endwith a pivot portion and at its opposite free end with a seat, a caminclined upwardly toward the free end of the member and located at theinner side of the seat, an upstanding longitndinally-disposed cam lyingbetween the first-mentioned cam and the pivot portion and having itsopposite sides diverged toward the free end of the member, andlongitudinally extending transversely disposed flanges at opposite sidesof and below the longitudinal cam.

12. An actuating member for switch points provided at one end with apivot portion and at its opposite end with a cam, the axis of the pivotportion and the inclination of the cam being in substantially the samedirections. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THGZIAS NICHOLSON ATKINSON. Witnesses:

Amman J. BOULT, HARRY B. SLIDGE.

